I met Sato-kun several years ago in Düsseldorf, Germany, where I was on a business trip. Since then, we've stayed in touch through requests for things like the direct mail for my exhibitions, which I handle under the name "CAUSE."
At the time, he was working on a self-produced short animation, and I remember seeing a part of it and being struck by its unique, unconventional feel, quite different from traditional animation.
Moreover, hearing that he was self-taught and working solo, I thought the sheer volume of work involved in meticulously drawing each frame would be immense.

Then, this year, I was able to see the completed work when Sato-kun returned to Japan. It struck me that three years had passed since we first met.

Creating Animation

Sato-kun originally studied at Tokyo University of the Arts, focusing on installation art. After moving to Germany, he began creating animations while attending the Düsseldorf Art Academy.

"Compared to when I was in Japan, my work in Germany has been much more challenging than I anticipated before moving, due to language barriers and living conditions," Sato-kun explains. "However, that environment gave me time to look inward. Perhaps influenced by this, I had moved away from drawing during my university days, but I felt a shift back towards it." He continues, "Also, perhaps because of the new environment, I started having strange dreams frequently, and I began creating works based on them. As I explored this, I realized that animation was a highly compatible medium for visualizing the fluid world of dreams."

Animation "TRAUM" © 2007 MASAHARU SATO

TRAUM

"TRAUM" (pronounced Tra-um), which took three long years to complete, means "dream" in German.
The world of dreams that Sato-kun has consistently explored since moving to Germany is not solely a realm of fantasy.
The visuals in "TRAUM" seem to be based on the scenery of the city where he lives, giving the impression that dreams are intruding upon everyday life.

"I believe dreams are reflections of the unconscious that arise from our daily lives. To materialize dreams, I depict the everyday reality that serves as their source, and then overlay fragments of dreams onto it, attempting to more strongly establish the dream world. In a word, it's like visualizing a daydream."
"TRAUM" is an animation that moves between such dreams and reality.
The music was a collaboration with sub-tle. They are also a band based in Germany, active in Europe, and have worked with Klaus Dinger (Kraftwerk, Neu!, La Düsseldorf). (Their album "pre_mary" will be released worldwide from Berlin on April 17th).
At my request, they created the work inspired by the animation's visuals, incorporating field recordings, studio performances, and processing.
"Ultimately, by adding their sound, the atmosphere that couldn't be expressed through visuals alone was elevated to several levels beyond my initial vision," Sato-kun says with confidence.

Animation "TRAUM" © 2007 MASAHARU SATO

Dan DANS "The House Exhibition"

Sato-kun will be participating in an exhibition called Dan DANS "The House Exhibition" this May. The venue appears to be a model home exhibition center located near Roppongi Hills.

"Dan DANS is in its fourth year this year, and we hold exhibitions in unconventional spaces. This time, it will again be in a unique location – a model home exhibition center. The majority of the participating artists are emerging talents, so I expect it to be a very energetic exhibition space."
"My contribution will be the animation 'TRAUM' and three new flat works."
"The flat works are a new attempt to translate my theme of the dream world into a single image, rather than animation. I've also been fortunate to be given a room as part of the exhibition space." He expresses great anticipation.

I am also very much looking forward to this "The House Exhibition."
This is an excellent opportunity to see Sato-kun's work, including his new pieces, so if you have the time, please do visit the exhibition.

Flat work "White Octopus" © 2008 MASAHARU SATO

Dan DANS "The House Exhibition"
Dates: May 19 (Mon) - May 29 (Thu)
Time: 11:00 - 17:00 (Last entry 16:30)
Venue: Roppongi Former Model Home Exhibition Center
3-2-19 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo (Diagonally opposite Grand Hyatt Tokyo)



sub-tle. | http://www.sub-tle.com/
Dan DANS "The House Exhibition" Official Website | http://www.geocities.jp/dandans_news/index.html